Dell XPS 15 9560 Incredibly slow with every program with fresh install AND shuts down intermittantly

Ok allegedly this has something to do with the battery false flagging an error.

I ran the laptop with no power adapter until it ran out of battery and shut down, then keep hitting the power button until the light didn't even turn on. I went to eat dinner, came back, reset BIOS to factory defaults during start up, and it seemed to be working fine for a few minutes until the issue returned. This seems to be a known issue... I think one of the first troubleshooting tips here should be 'CHECK YOUR CPU SPEED', there are so many other red herrings but it seems like this is a common issue. Why isn't there   permanent and standard fix for this?

---

@Fajiggles wrote:
Hello everyone, I am having the exact same issues here, with the exact same GAME (EVE)! The computer sounds like it is under a major process load but I only have a browser and Eve on low settings open. And that's just one example! This is slow with everything! Even just using Chrome it lags, the mouse lags, if I have a headset or Discord on the audio lags, the headset drops, it produces horrendous glitch noises. I had a failure earlier in October and had to reinstall everything... I just bought it in May! With a personal recommendation from Dell employees in Austin! I'm also abroad in Thailand and won't return until just before my warranty expires! It sounds like the customer service here has been nightmarish. I'm thinking my best bet is to take it up with my friends working at Dell rather than go through the proper channels... (Go Longhorns) Until then I feel like I'm stuck here with this piece of junk! And I specifically came to Thailand with this laptop to do work specifically on this laptop! These whole three months are ruined! What else can I do! I bought one of the most expensive and capable laptops on the market - what a joke!

---

@Fajiggles as per my previous responses to others on this thread, the performance issues can be caused by a multitude of things and the symptoms can be different for each user. That is the reason why there isn't a known issue with a standard fix. Also, what works for one user doesn't necessarily work for another.

You have mentioned that you get performance issues particularly with Eve. 

Do they problems only exist after you have run Eve and try to run other applications afterwards?
If you use the system for a few days without running Eve, do you still get performance issues?
Do you get any excessive heat or system throttling?
Are you running the maximum performance power plan and with the ac adaptor connected when this occurs?
When was the last time you did a clean install of the OS?

Does the system pass the ePSA diagnostics without issue? (To run the ePSA diagnostics, hold down the Fn key and power on the system)
Are you running the latest firmware on the hard drive?
Do you have the latest BIOS and drivers installed on the system?

Alan

I feel compelled to respond to these recent posts. Little has occurred since I last “contributed” other than additional failures with my XPS: After three months of standing up for myself, repeatedly requesting that my case be escalated from the team of goof-ball techs I’d originally gotten stuck with, “someone” else at Dell (to whom I’d like to offer my most sincere gratitude!) intervened and quite suddenly I began to be treated with some respect and treated as a consumer with legitimate issues that were finally regarded as requiring resolution.

An onsite tech came by and replaced the motherboard and the power cord-to-computer part (the malfunction of which had initially been blamed on me and for said reason had totally halted the onsite repair people from fixing the thing initially, as in, would have prevented the three-month ordeal from occurring in the first place! (I hope that sentence makes more sense than what had occurred!)

Well, it wasn’t the motherboard that was the problem. XPS continued to overheat (purchased a cooling fan pad) and just fully malfunctional. I have always contended quite positively that there is a problem with the SSD, but this has never even been considered. I’ve continually ensured that all drivers and other updates have been current. I reloaded Windows even reset the thing to factory mode, etc., etc. (The “top-dogs” was ultimately “offered” me a refurbished same-model computer with no warranty, which I refused for the so obvious reasons.)

Needless to say, at this point I had become so deflated and felt so degraded and helpless, having had my own intelligence continually belittled – quite frankly, I felt that I’d been harassed by Dell-at-large with zero recourse given its horrific anti-consumer hidden contract, that I just kept putting off contacting Dell.

I finally did so in December, but for some strange reason, this particular tech claimed he was not receiving my emails. (I kept receiving emails stating that I must email them, though I’d replied to every one; ironically (?) my warranty was to run out in 2-3 weeks.) So, I purchased another year’s warranty (another $150) and am now getting what certainly appears to be authentic and intelligent tech service and assistance.

Postscript: I am writing this message from my HP notebook because the XPS touchpad has failed (onsite tech will fix soon). The audio also failed last summer, but I’d rather use headphones and external speakers (other additional expenditures) all of these months than deal with Dell’s techs. All other problems – diagnosed as mechanical, mind you, from the first day, by Dell – still exist, though I somehow maintain hope for ultimate resolution with the tech who, along with his supervisor, has taken this on.

This has been an ordeal. Perceived value vs. actual value with this “machine” are both nil. I believed in Dell’s superiority and purchased an expensive computer to perform my work. I’ll never recover from this year: The personal financial loss during months of down-time, the extended period of time it takes me to get that work done given the hellish performance; the additional expenditures to correct issues on my own without having to deal with Dell; the damage to my mental health, given all of the stress, anxiety and upset;… (And I am but one Dell customer. …)

Hi Alan,

Thanks for the quick response. Let me shift my tone a bit here. First of all, the above screenshot is roughly the scenario I am describing, Eve is open, and the task manager clearly shows ~800 MHz CPU speed which is unacceptable for most things in 2019. I also have multiple resource monitor apps open to show temperatures.

But this is not just with Eve! It happens with many different things! Even just right clicking on the desktop can commence the 800 MHz throttling.

But - I did notice that there MIGHT be a correlation between plugging the AC adapter in and the throttled CPU. When I unplugged the AC the CPU speed quickly returned to 2.8 GHz. When plugged back in everything hung and it throttled again. I am not sure if this correlation is true or not. Is it possible the AC adapter can cause this? Is it failing? I tried running it again with just battery and it did throttle again after about 90 minutes. It seems like heat or power or something is messing this up.  The temperatures read normal but the unit itself certainly feels hot and the fans seem to constantly run quite fast, I don't remember if it was always this hot and loud though - I wasn't really paying attention.

I noted the previous user was in South Korea, I am in Thailand. The voltage is different from the USA, would that have an impact?

I just ran ePSA and all tests passed. 

Thanks,

Tyler

I have done troubleshooting with the network adapter, the GPU, the processor, and now it seems like power may be the only remaining option.

Last week I downloaded and ran a process called XPS_15_9560_1.12.1 which I downloaded from the Dell website. I also did a clean install in October after the network card seemed to fail.

I have been abroad in Europe and Asia since May 2018 and haven't really noticed this issue until now. I will check your other suggestions and try those as well.

What do you think I should do at this point? I will have a few weeks of warranty left on this PC when I return to the US in April. I also have some friends working at Dell HQ in Austin that might be able to escalate this faster (they helped my other friend with his XPS 15 before).

Should I just try to return it and get a different brand? This is so shocking to hear and strange to me. I felt like I was really investing in a trustworthy and powerful piece of hardware.

I am using Eve as an example because it was mentioned earlier and that game is 15 YEARS OLD and it can barely run on this but I'm having the issue with every application. It is universal.

---

@Fajiggles wrote:

Hi Alan,

 

Thanks for the quick response. Let me shift my tone a bit here. First of all, the above screenshot is roughly the scenario I am describing, Eve is open, and the task manager clearly shows ~800 MHz CPU speed which is unacceptable for most things in 2019. I also have multiple resource monitor apps open to show temperatures.

But this is not just with Eve! It happens with many different things! Even just right clicking on the desktop can commence the 800 MHz throttling.

 

But - I did notice that there MIGHT be a correlation between plugging the AC adapter in and the throttled CPU. When I unplugged the AC the CPU speed quickly returned to 2.8 GHz. When plugged back in everything hung and it throttled again. I am not sure if this correlation is true or not. Is it possible the AC adapter can cause this? Is it failing? I tried running it again with just battery and it did throttle again after about 90 minutes. It seems like heat or power or something is messing this up.  The temperatures read normal but the unit itself certainly feels hot and the fans seem to constantly run quite fast, I don't remember if it was always this hot and loud though - I wasn't really paying attention.

 

I noted the previous user was in South Korea, I am in Thailand. The voltage is different from the USA, would that have an impact?

 

I just ran ePSA and all tests passed. 

 

Thanks,

Tyler

---

Hi Tyler, 

Thanks for the image and the information you have provided. As the temperatures showing there are relatively low, I don't believe the system is thermal throttling to protect itself, more power throttling. As the issue tends to happen with the ac connected that helps to support my theory.

I do find it strange that it throttles when the ac is connected as that is how the system should be running for maximum performance.

As per my last message, what power plan do you have the system set to when the ac adaptor is connected?
If you change between dynamic or maximum performance, does the system still power throttle?

Do you have the system set up with the nVidia control panel to always use the dedicated graphics card rather than switching between both?

Instead of running the latest Intel Dynamic Platform and Thermal Framework released in January, can you install the previous version a04 and let me know if the system still does the exact same  - https://www.dell.com/support/home/us/en/19/Drivers/DriversDetails?driverId=JTXD1&osCode=WT64A&productCode=xps-15-9560-laptop

With regards to support, system exchanges etc, there is no justifiable reason to exchange the system at this point without fully understanding the issue and making reasonable effort to resolve it. I'll drop you a private message to get your tag details and I can advise further.

Alan 

I have had the EXACT same problems with mine.  The premium support team which I pay for is useless!!!  I wish I could return this awful laptop.  No one from Dell has been of any help.  There is clearly something wrong.

@mountkarma i'm sorry to hear of the issues you are experiencing with your XPS 9560. Can you advise when was the last time you raised a support ticket about the issue.

Can you also advise what troubleshooting you have carried out so far.

I'll drop you a private message to get your service tag details.

Alan

Well it's been almost a year now and I'm back after receiving no effective support on this. I extended my warranty but still nothing. I've wasted my time with multiple "live support" sessions where they just uninstall my programs and defrag my hard drive which of course does nothing but piss me off. This is really my last plea to Dell to honor their brand before I'm done.

This is in the top 5 worst purchases I've made. The system operates at 10% capacity and this global brand is incapable of addressing it. Shameful 

@Fajiggles i'm sorry to hear of your ongoing problem. I'll respond to your last private message and we can go from there.

Alan

Just to update everyone on the fix for this issue, it is still ongoing (happy one year anniversary). I have sent my laptop into Dell for repair, but they located physical damage to the top left corner of the palm rest and are returning it to me. We have agreed that I will replace the palm rest myself at my expense and then send it back to Dell again for the actual repair.

Just thought I would add my comments, having had my refurbished XPS 9560 for around 18 months. I noticed the lag almost straight away, with no software installed, just the bloatware from Dell. The issue was worse when connected to an external 4k screen (either by USB C or HDMI).

First I upgraded the memory to 32 GB, then updated the SSD (Samsung SSD 970 Pro), which seemed to improve things (though maybe this was a placebo). Today, I finally changed out the Wifi card from the Killer to an Intel AX200. That said, I'm still experiencing lags...

All the old tricks have been tried (though the intel drivers from Dell are only a few months old, so are they really still the issue). When downloading the Intel Extreme tuning the Turbo Power Max is set to 45 w, so it isn't that. I tried disabling C states in the BIOS, no change. Power mode is set to 100%, and am plugged in.

When there is a lag, I immediately open task manager, and I can see something flashing at 100% CPU (usually system interrupts). Today even edge started crashing for no apparent reason (annoyingly whilst writing this out).

Ideally what I would like to do is enable some sort of logging to try and pin this down to a process. Any suggestions. My newer XPS 9370 is much better in comparison, and I might have to start using that as my daily driver.